Commentator Willem Van Gemeren (REBC) classifies the brief Psalm 131 as "an individual psalm of confidence." The psalmist (traditionally David) wants to encourage the community by telling about his own experience with God. He comes before God in an attitude of humility and contentment "like a weaned child with its mother" (verse 2).
In an essay about Abraham and Sarah (collected in the book Abraham's Journey), Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik looks at the report of Sarah's death in Genesis 23:1. Her age was "a hundred years and twenty years and seven years." Soloveitchik notes that these three groupings of years describe a child, a young adult, and a mature adult.
He says that we usually think of a person going through these three stages of life consecutively, one stage at a time. But Sarah and Abraham were in some sense in all three stages simultaneously. Becoming parents when Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100, they were like younger adults again when Isaac was born and grew up.
Going one step further, Soloveitchik asserts that every person of faith needs to be the same way. In the study of God's Word, we advance as we grow in knowledge, sophistication, and wisdom. Bible study is for mature adults.
On the other hand, in prayer and acts of faith we need to relate to God with childlike trust and submission. So we need to be mature and childlike at the same time as we grow in a relationship with God. Soloveitchik cites Psalm 131:2 in reference to the proper attitude for prayer.
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